CLARENCE STRATTON 



RUBY RED 



^*(M!i£i}^-U¥:,:x*. 




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A PLAY IN ONE ACT 



Walter H. Baker Company, Boston 



RUBY RED 

A Play in One Act 



By 
CLARENCE STRATTON 



Copyright, 191 7, by Clarence Stratton 
Copyright, 1926, by Clarence Stratton 

All rights reserved. 

Made in U. S. A. 




yaosTo^y 



BOSTON 

WALTER H. BAKER COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 






ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

" Ruby Red " is fully protected by copyright, and all 
rights are reserved. Permission to act, read publicly 
or to make any use of it must be obtained from Walter 
H. Baker Company, 41 Winter Street, Boston, Mass. 

It may be presented by amateurs upon payment of a 
royalty of five dollars (j!5.oo), for each performance, 
payable to Walter H. Baker Company one week 
before the date when the play is given. 

Professional rates quoted on application. 

Whenever the play is produced, the following notice 
must appear on all programs, printing and advertising 
for the play : " Produced by special arrangement with 
the Walter H. Baker Company, of Boston, Mass," 



TMP96-006652 



JUL2376 ^ 



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RUBY RED 



CAST OF CHARACTERS 

Danesi Jane Dane, a romantic young zvife. 
Billy Dane, a very practical husband. 
Selim, a ring merchant. 
Aysha, his slave. 

Scene. A room in the Hotel Oriental, Biskra, 
on the edge of the desert. 
Time. The present. 



RUBY RED 



SCENE. — A room in the Hotel Oriental, Biskra, on 
the edge of the desert. At the rear a couple of 
arched tvindoiv openings with no coverings look 
out upon a balcony, beyond xohich appear the 
curved domes and peaked minarets of the cream- 
colored city against the clear sky. A draped 
doorxvay leads to this same balcony. The fanci- 
fully furnished room contains oriental rugs, a 
couple of low divans piled xcith cushions, a couple 
of lozv lounging chairs, several tabourets. A low 
table contains writing materials and other re- 
quired articles such as matches, oriental ciga- 
rettes, and a leather case of express money checks. 

[When the curtain rises Billy is walking about 
restlessly. Danesi, in a delicate morning 
goxvn, is signing express checks. She rises and 
stretches out luxuriously upon a divan. 

Billy. 

[After standing looking out one of the arches at 
the hack. Shrugging his shoulders.^ Aw! this 
makes me sick! 

Danesi. 

[Moving to divan.'\ Billy! you're so unromantic! 
[5] 



RUBY RED 

Billy. 
[Throwing up his hands.^ Unroraantic! Good 
god! 

Danesi. 

You have no soul. 

Billy. 
Well, do you think these bare-legged peddlers 
waddling about in nightgowns have any more soul 
than I have? 

Danesi. 

Billy, what's wrong with yon this morning.'' 

Billy. 
Everything's wrong! Here Ave are on the edge 
of the great desert with mail coming in once a week 
and the last one two days overdue; the champions 
playing off the world's series, and I can't get any 
news of the results. 

Danesi. 
Oh! is that all.? 

Billy. 

[Astounded.~\ Is that all.? 

Danesi. 

Why can't you forget all that? Just think 
where you are. You should try to drink up 

Billy. 
And that reminds me of another thing. That 
cocktail at dinner last night was rotten. I suppose 

[6] 



RUBY RED 

you'd like me to drink hashish or beetle nut or gum 
arabic, or whatever the national beverage out here 
is. 

Danesi. 

Oh, Billy, you're such a dear nut! If you could 
only forget that you're an efficiency expert. 

Billy. 
Forget it? Woman, any more treason like that, 
and you*ll be shot at sunrise ! 

Danesi. 

That sounds more like you. Why don't you 
smoke.'' That will help to calm you. 

Billy. 
Think I shall. [Takes out American cigarettes 
from his pocket.'\ You're a brick, honey! 

[Strikes match. 

Danesi. 

[Shrieking at the sight of the home brand.^ 
You're not smoking those vile things again.'' When 
all these delicious oriental cigarettes are furnished 
by the hotel.? 

Billy. 
Oh, they're furnished by the hotel all right ! But 
they're in little Billy's bill, too ! 

Danesi. 
[In despair.'] In Biskra! On the edge of the 
great wide desert. 

[ 7 ] 



RUBY RED 

Billy. 
Desert? That doesn't impress me. I've spent a 
couple of Sundays in Philadelphia. 

Danesi. 

Algeria! The land of mystery and romance! 
Where pirates still have their ports! 

Billy. 
Ports.'' The pirates keep hotels, now. 

Danesi. 

Where the wild gazelle is hunted by tamed eagles. 
Where the languorous tambour sounds love songs 
beneath the swaying date palms all night long. 
And the monotonous tomtom beats the seductive 
dances of the little white feet in the harems. Where 
strong brown sons of the desert dash away on 
lithe-limbed steeds with captive maidens. Oh, can't 
you feel the atmosphere of this strange land all 
about you.'' Can't you sense the romance.? Can't 
you breathe in the perfume.? Can't you steep your- 
self in the life of the orient.? For here the bul- 
bul 

Billy. 
[Interrupting. 1 Oh! now I understand you, 
dear. I know all about that chicken ! 

Danesi. 

[Laughing.'] Oh, Billy, you're so deliciously 
ridiculous. You just keep this up to tease me, 
while I know that deep down underneath you are 
enjoying all the experiences you are having. 

[ 8] 



RUBY RED 

Billy. 

Now, Jane 

Danesi. 

Jane! I'm not Jane! Don't you dare call me 
Jane! 

Billy. 
Dear, the only trouble with you is that front 
name of yours. Danesi! You are always trying 
to live up to that name. Danesi! It's all right 
for you to go in for bizarre effects. But you must 
remember, Danesi, that my name is just plain Bill. 

Danesi. 

Yet you admire fine men so extravagantly that 
you must have been impressed by that splendid fel- 
low in the market-place yesterday. That tall, slen- 
der Bedouin. 

Billy. 
You mean that fellow you talked to so long.'' 

Danesi. 

Well, it didn't seem long to you. You were 
spending a fortune on fruit from that little girl with 
the dark eyes and the white skin below where the 
sunburn went. 

Billy. 
Gee, did I tell you that last night.'' It must have 
been that cocktail! 

Danesi. 
You did! But that dealer with the marvelous 

[9 ] 



RUBY RED 

precious stones. He had one ruby set in a hand- 
wrought ring that was the most beautiful jewel I 
have ever seen. If you hadn't been tasting pome- 
granates, and tamerinds, and mangos I'd have asked 
your opinion. For you do know quite a lot about 
stones. I really did want the ring, but I was much 
more interested in the man himself. 

Billy. 
Wasn't that little girl a beauty, though.? What 
ej'es she had! And her finger-nails were dyed red, 
too; just as you read in books. 

Danesi. 

This Bedouin had such grace about him, tall and 
lithe as though he lived on horseback, or out-of- 
doors all the time. 

Billy. 
She was a clever little devil ! She made me taste 
all the different fruit she had. I didn't like them 
much, so I spit out nearly every mouthful. Then 
she would smile at me with all of her teeth showing 
and her eyes flashing. 

Danesi. 

His voice was so soft and slow, as though one 
never hurries in the tropics. I wonder whether he 
lives here. I don't believe so ; — I think he must 
come into the city only on market days. 

Billy. 
That reminds me. I wonder if the little girl 
would be back again to-day? 
[ 10] 



IlLTBY RED 

Danesi. 

That man was the embodiment of the real East 
to me. Up to now this had seemed hke pictures 
only. But he was a living person, a reality. 

Billy. 

That's the way I felt about this girl. All the 
others looked like advertisements for Turkish to- 
bacco or circus sideshows. But when I touched her 
hand, I knew she was the real thing, all right. 

[He claps his hand over his mouth, afraid that 
he has told too much. 

Danesi. 

[A^ot noticing.] I wonder if I'll ever see any- 
thing like him again. 

Billy. 

Say, Danesi, how would you like to have me 
skip out and get some fresh oranges for lunch, 
eh.'' Shall I? You can't come along, can you, be- 
cause you're not fully dressed.'' I won't be gone 
longer than a half hour — unless something unfore- 
seen turns up. Shall I go.'' I'll bring you back 
some beauties. 

[He has collected his hat, gloves, and cane by 
this time. 

Danesi. 
Why, run along, Billy, have a good time with the 
little fruit girl. I hope she makes you like the 
orient a little better. 

[ 11 ] 



RUBY RED 

Billy. 

[Solicit ously.l You'll be all right here? [PecJi- 
ing at her lips.] You dream of jour Tom-Tom, 
while I like a wild eagle go chasing the bare feet of 
the dancing gazelle. Aha! even I am growing ro- 
mantic. [Billy exits. 

Danesi. 
[Calling.] Enjoy yourself. [Danesi looks to 
assure herself that he has gone, then extracts from 
the draicer of the table an especially perfumed ciga- 
rette which she lights and puffs luxuriously.] If 
Billy doesn't like the usual Eastern smoke, I wonder 
what he would think of these sandalwood cigarettes. 
[She inhales xvith half closed eyes. There is a sharp 
rap at the entrance. She starts, extinguishes the 
cigarette, fans the smoke away.] Come in. [Into 
the room glides Aysha, an Oriental dancing girl 
fantastically garbed in brilliant colors, beads, fili- 
gree chains. She bears in her arms a metal incense 
burner zvhich she quickly places upon a tabouret. 
Then she sinks to her knees and boxvs until her fore- 
head touches the floor. Danesi stupefied.] Who 
are you.^^ What does this mean.'* Am I dreaming? 
[For anszcer Aysha raises her head and sweeps her 
hand toxvard the door. As she turns her astonished 
gaze to it, Danesi sees Selim, her ring Bedouin of 
the day before, standing just inside the room. A 
dark burnus or cloak shrouds his body from neck to 
ankles, but his dark face is surmounted by a xvhite 
turban on the front of which sparkles a gold en- 
crusted emerald. Danesi almost unbelievingly.] 
Ah-h-h! You have come? You are here? 

[ 12 ] 



RUBY RED 

Selim. 
[With a majestic siceep of his folded arms. 
Quietly yet impressively] My lady, as you see; at 
your service. I am come! 

Danesi. 

How delightful of you ! 

Selim. 
I am enchanted that you welcome me thus. It is 
like the cool spring water to the desert-weary cara- 
van. 

Danesi. 

But what is that for.'* 

[^She points to the metal burner into which Aysha 
has been dropping incense. 

Selim. 
That is to offer sweet odors to the beautiful little 
bird from the far-away Western forests. [He steps 
to the tabouret where the matches are, strikes one 
and lights the powder.] There, that sweetness is all 
for my Lady ! 

Danesi. 
[Inhaling the odor.] How wonderful! [Sud- 
denly.] But it is so powerful, it seems to go to my 
head and to turn my senses. 

Selim. 
It is the spirit of the true East ; the essence that 
the West can never breathe. 

Danesi. 

So you have come about the ring, have you? 
[13 ] 



RUBY RED 

Selim. 
[Drawing the ruby ring from his finger.^ The 
ring — you like it? You want it? How beautiful it 
is ! How it would glow upon your milk-white finger. 
[He approaches, takes her hand as though to slip 
the ring upon her finger, but she recovers her- 
self and moves aicay. 

Danesi. 

Yes, I like it ; but the price is too high. So many 
thousand francs! Why, that is eight hundred dol- 
lars in American money. If you can't name a lower 
figure, I'm afraid you came in vain. [At every 
chance Selim fans the incense fumes toward Dan- 
esi.] But why the heavy incense? And why the 
girl ? 

Selim. 
Perhaps I did not come only about the ring. My 
Lady is more like an Oriental than a Westerner. 
She loves the children of the desert sands. She 
would like to lie beneath the moon in a silent oasis. 
She might know the love of a great Sheik for his fa- 
vorite in the seraglio. She would like to dress her 
beautiful bod}^ like one of our women. The spirit of 
these lands has entered into your being. You feel 
the spell of our people. You love the light of our 
sun. You sigh for the light of our stars. You 
could be mad with one of our men! 

[As he finishes this he suddenly opens his dark 
burnus and as it falls from him he steps for- 
ward, garbed in all the barbaric splendor of an 
oriental prince. 

[ 14. ] 



RUBY RED 

Danesi. 

Oh, how beautiful 3^ou are! [Then recovering 
herself.] But why is this girl along? Is she from 
jour harem? 

SeIiIm. 

[Coritemptuousl/j.] From my harem? Not she! 
She is a dancing girl. 

Danesi. 
But why should she be here? 

Selim. 
Because I want to give you, my Lady, a taste of 
the life we lead, the life you would love. She shall 
dance for us, for you and me, and for one little time 
we shall be like the lord with the favorite wife from 
his seraglio. You shall see! 

[He steps to an arch at the rear and makes a 
signal. Outside on the balcony begin the 
strains of an oriental dance. Aysha looks up 
to him like a trained dog about to be put 
through an exhibition. He gives her a harsh 
look, makes an imperious gesture, and she be- 
gins to pose in the first figures of her dance. 
Selim takes Danesi's hand and leads her to a 
place on the divan. He stands xvatching 
Aysha for a few seconds. Fascinated by the 
rhythmic movements, Danesi puts up her hand 
to touch his arm. 

Danesi. 

Oh, that is wonderful ! 

[Holding her hand, he sinks to the floor at her 
feet. 

[ 15 ] 



RUBY RED 

Selim. 
Now jou are learning, my Ladj, what life here 
really is. 

Danesi. 
Is a harem quite like this? 

Selim. 
Only the lord and master is not kept so far away. 
He is allowed to rest like this. 

[He moves up closer to her knees. 

Danesi. 
And the days are all like this,'' 

Selim. 
[Passionately.'\ The day is as nothing. The 
night is when a true son of the desert begins to live. 
All the ardor of the day is stored up in his blood. 
His pulses dance. His breath comes broken from 
waiting for his beloved. Then in the night when all 
the stars gaze down from the velvet purple above; 

— need I describe to you the delights 

[Danesi stops his speech by putting her hand 
over his mouth. He covers it with his oivn to 
hold it there. 

Danesi. 

Hush ! You must not say such things to me. 

[She draws axvay. 

Selim. 
As well say them as feel them. And I have felt 
them for days ! 

[ 16 ] 



RUBY RED 

Danesi. 

Days? Why, we only reached here day before 
yesterday ! 

Selim. 
Do you thmk that a Bedouin loves like a pale- 
skinned Westerner? [Rising.] I saw you at Al- 
giers. I followed you to Constantine, and on here 
to Biskra. I knew you liked jewels. All I needed 
to do was to wait. And see how my patience has 
been rewarded! 

[He sits beside her. Incense and the dance and 
his pozver are gaining possession of Danesi. 

Danesi. 

It's all like some dream from the Arabian Nights ! 

Selim. 
It need not be a mere dream any longer. You 
can make the dream come true. See, the red ruby 
will be 3'ours. And everything else 3'ou desire. 

Danesi. 
But how strange to follow me simply because you 
like me. 

Selim. 
[Bending over her.] Like? Like you? Can 
you use so weak a word to contain all that I have 
felt for you? All I feel now? Your language is 
so weak! You should know my tongue, so I could 
tell you in all its fervency how I hunger and thirst 
for you. 

[ 17 ] 



RUBY RED 

Danesi. 

Oh, I seem to be out of my senses ! I'm not sure 
of what is happening to me ! 

[Selim points to the still dancing Aysha, whose 
slozv, quiet dance has groicn faster and faster 
until now she is whirling madly about. Danesi 
stares almost hypnotized by the gyrating fig- 
ure. After a frenzied climax Aysha sinks at 
Selim's feet as the dance ends. Selim mutters 
a guttural command, pushes her axvay xvith his 
foot, and Aysha glides to the rear, and exits. 
The music changes to a voluptuous strain. 

Selim. 
[Fassionately.~\ Like that dance shall be m}' love 
for you. Mild as the light of the rising new moon 
at first, lest it startle you by its warmth ; then in- 
creasing in strength, it would almost sear you as 
would the heat of the noonday tropical sun ; then 
finally it would lift 3^ou and carry you before the 
gusts as a loose jasmine flower is borne on the wings 
of the hurricane. 

Danesi. 
[Making an effort, rises and moves away.^ You 
must not speak to me this way! I must not listen 
to you! 

Selim. 
You can close your ears but your heart cries out 
to mine. Why have you come so far across the 
seas to this distant city except that your senses call 
for the color, the caressing sunshine, the soothing 
odor of our heavy-scented flowers? 

[ 18] 



RUBY RED 

Danesi. 

Yes, I have always yearned for this land. 

Selim. 
Look out there. This city lies by itself like a 
white water lily on the bosom of a still blue lake. 
Your world is gone. No news of it ever comes to 
disturb the dreams of this almost unreal world. 
Just a little word from you 

Danesi. 

[Murmuring. '\ Like a white water lily on the 
bosom of a still blue lake. 

Selim. 
Come with me! I shall carry you far to the 
south where no Westerner ever comes. Where we 
shall lie through the day in yellow water-cooled 
apartments fanned by soothing breezes. And when 
the deep night advances like the flight of a bird, we 
shall mount our steeds to go forth under the silent 
canopy of the star-jeweled sky. Around us shall 
be nothing but the great, wide limitless space. And 
within us only our deep, throbbing passionate love! 

Danesi. 
It seems to be sweeping me on ! 

Selim. 
[Beside her.~\ Float upon it, my beloved! [He 
takes her hands. As he feels a slight resistance 
still, he draws off again the ruby ring.~\ You know 

r 19 ] 



RUBY RED 

how I value this, yet I shall make it the pledge of 

our promises. With this ring 

[He slips it on her finger. She gazes at it won- 
deringly. 

Danesi. 

But what am I doing? 

Selim. 

It is Kismet, my life. To-morrow I return with 

a disguise for you — to-morrow. Once out of this 

city, where I alone shall know the wa3^s, you are 

safe from the entire world, and with me alone! 

[With a sigh she sinks into his arms. He clasps 

her in a long embrace, then as she leans half 

-fainting upon him, he moves her sloivly toward 

the divan. Just as he has reached it, Aysha's 

voice is heard outside. 

Aysha. 

[Outside shrieking.^ Sheik, Sheik! [Bursts into 

the room, panting. Selim gazes at her and grunts. 

She is pointing off stage excitedly.] Sheik! Sheik! 

[She points to Danesi, then off stage. Selim 

drops the bewildered Danesi upon the couch, 

grunts angrily at Aysha, and points to the 

incense burner. Aysha glides to it, picks it 

up, and xcaits further orders just inside the 

entrance. Danesi is slordy recovering. 

Selim. 

[Quickly to Danesi.] Your husband! Beware 

of what he sees ! Remember that an Oriental is 

crafty with the brain. Do as I tell you and it will 

[ 20 ] 



RUBY RED 

be well for both of us. ^He meditates a second, 
then sees the ruby ring upon her finger.^ Ah! 
That's the way! You give me $800 for the ruby 
ring. That will appear natural to everybody. 

Danesi. 
[Still somewhat bezdldered.^ Thousands of 
francs.'' Eight hundred dollars.'' 

Selim. 
Yes, that ; or think up some plan of your own. 

Danesi. 
The ring then is mine.? 

Selim. 
[Hastily.] For $800. Make haste! 
[Danesi goes to the table and from the leather 
covered book tears out four green slips. Selim 
seizes them, glances at them hurriedly. 

Danesi. 

They are Express Checks. 

Selim. 
Are they signed.'' 

Danesi. 
Yes, I signed them this morning. 

Selim. 
Good ! Now, careful ; — remember ! 
[He moves rapidly aicay from her, picks up his 
burnus, and drapes it around his body, just as 
Billy, carrying a basket of oranges, bursts in. 
They spill about the room as he begins to talk 
excitedly. 

[ 21 ] 



RUBY RED 

Billy. 
Say, Danesi, what do you know about this? 
That Eastern girl let me stand there tasting her 
nasty fruit and spending money for these oranges 
I did not want, and when I finished, and tried to 
kiss her — yes, I did, I'll admit I tried — what do you 
suppose she said? In real American, too! "Cut 
it out, old top, or I'll tell your wife on you! " Yes, 
she did! And when I asked her where she learned 
it, she said she used to dance the boula-boula in a 
show at Coney Island. Now, can you beat that? 

Danesi. 
Really, Billy? 

Billy. 
[Noticing for the first time the other tzao.] 
Hello! What's this? You seem to be giving a 
fancy dress party this morning. 

[Before Danesi can ansxcer, Selim cringes for- 
ward. 

Selim. 
Please, sir, the girl and me, we come to show the 
madam the strong incense and other things. 

Billy. 

[Sniffing. '\ Well, it's strong, all right. 

Selim. 
Yes, sir. Very good smell. You like it, yes? 

Billy. 
No, I don't. But I'm not interested in romance. 
Mine had a puncture just now. But if it pleases 
my wife, I'll stand for it. 

[ 22 ] 



RUBY RED 

Selim. 
Then Madame desires not anything — more? 

Danesi. 

No, not anything! 

Billy. 
But I do! [Danesi makes a frightened move- 
ment zuhich Selim reproves zvith a glance.] Where 
did you learn to speak English? 

Selim. 
[Suavely and with a meaning look at Danesi.] 
I keep curio store in New York and learn English 
at night school. 

Billy. 
[Mockingly. '\ And this is the land where strong, 
brown sons of the desert dash away on Hthe-hmbed 
steeds with captive maids! I guess that withers 
your romance, Danesi 

Selim. 
Then there is nothing — more.? 

Danesi. 

No, nothing, thank you. 

Selim. 
[Meaningly. '\ But Madame will not forget.'' 
[He bozcs, motions Aysha off, then looks back at 
Danesi and Billy. Selim and Aysha go out. 

Billy. 
Danesi, wasn't that your ring merchant? 
[ 23 ] 



RUBY RED 

Danesi. 

Yes, I bought the ruby. 

l^Holds out her hand for hivi to examine it. 

Billy. 
How much.'' 

Danesi. 
Eight hundred dollars. 

Billy. 
It's a left-over from his New York curio store. 
It's worth about twenty-five dollars. 

Danesi. 
[Wailing.] Oh, Billy! 

[Throzdng the ring axvay. 

Billy. 
But I don't mind, dearie, because a steamer from 
home comes in to-morrow, and we'll get all the base- 
ball scores and ever^'thing. 

Danesi. 

Could we start for home on that boat.'' 

Billy. 

Could we, dearest? Do you mean it.'' What 
about the — [Mocking her earlier speech.] monoto- 
nous tom-tom beating to the seductive dances of the 
little white feet in the harem? 

Danesi. 

I'm cured of all that. It's just as 3'ou said the 
cocktail was last night — rotten ! 
[ 24 ] 



RUBY RED 

Billy. 
Danesi ! 

Danesi. 

No — not that name! I'm just plain Jane! 

[As they fall into each other's arms, the grinning 

face of Selim peers in at the arch at the rear. 

Pointing a long finger sardonically at them he 

speaks. 

Selim. 
And they came thousands of miles to do that ! 
[But they are too happy to hear him. Danesi and 
Billy exit through the door at the side, still em- 
bracing each other. Selim stealthily enters at 
back, listens at door, shows his contempt of them 
by a shrug and an upivard cast of his eyes, searches 
for an instant, picks up the ring Danesi threw 
azvay in disgust, and xvipes it on his sleeve. With 
a chuckle.'] We mustn't waste anything. I can 
use this on the next silly, sentimental girl ! 

CURTAIN 



[ 26 ] 



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